Dale passed away in February of 2017 at 75 years old. A lifelong Great Falls resident with a long history of volunteerism, he has already left $40,000 to the Cascade County Meals on Wheels program, for which he was a driver.

Volunteering opened Dale’s eyes to the need that existed right in his own hometown.

“When he started delivering for Meals on Wheels I think that really struck home for him,” said Gary Stewart, “He said, ‘Sometimes I was the only person that they would see all day long.’ He had a kind heart.”

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The $39,000 donation to My Neighbor in Need is equivalent to about one-third of the organization's annual budget.(Photo: TRIBUNE PHOTO/JULIA MOSS)

Gary also recalled how Dale used to head straight to the Great Falls Transit office each time My Neighbor in Need posted a request for a bus pass in the newspaper. His face was well-known around the Times Square Shopping Center where My Neighbor in Needs has its office.

According to founder and board president Dave Snuggs, this was the largest single donation ever received by the organization, amounting to one-third of My Neighbor in Need’s annual budget.

When Gary first handed him the check, Snuggs thought it was for $3,900. It was a major double-take when he realized the actual amount.

“He jumped out of his chair and said is that $39,000?” said Gary. “Then he came around his desk and gave me a hug.”

My Neighbor in Need receives no government funding, which means it operates mostly to connect people who need things with people who have them and are willing to donate.

“This is life-changing money,” said Snuggs. “We now don’t have to worry about whether to help someone with a larger than normal request.”

This means they can assist families who have had major catastrophes, offering more help in less time because they have this cash in reserve.

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The Ursuline Centre was one of three local nonprofits to receive a substantial donation from the estate of Dale Stewart last week.(Photo: TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO)

Thomas Trunkle, the Ursuline Centre’s executive director, was bowled over by the donation.

“Dale was a graduate of the Ursuline Centre as a young boy, and his generosity is overwhelming and humbling, to say the least,” Trunkle said. “For us, it affirms that connection between alumni and the Ursuline Centre itself.”

The influx means the Centre can continue to serve its mission statement and subsidize costs for outside groups it serves and that use its facility. The money will also be useful for repairs and operations for the 105-year-old building.

It’s a blessing, it really is, because sometimes the repairs here are pretty substantial,” said Trunkle. “So a donation like that helps us absorb that as well.”

“This comes at a good time,” Gary agreed. “A building that old has always got something going on, and they may be able to fix something that they’ve been holding off because they didn’t have that amount of money.”

Carrie Sunwall, development director for the Rescue Mission, said 100 percent of Dale’s donation will go directly toward helping the homeless.

“The need in our community has just grown considerably, and this donation means the world to us. It’s just incredible when people have such a heart.”

Large donations such as this one give the mission the flexibility to meet the complex needs of the people they serve.

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One hundred percent of Stewart's donation to the Great Falls Rescue Mission will go toward helping homeless families in Great Fall.(Photo: Tribune Photo/Peter Johnson)

Although Sunwell has as much appreciation for a $25 gift as she does for a $39,000 one, the donation played a significant role in the organization’s annual budget.

“He really did leave a legacy by donating that to the mission, and we feel very honored,” she said.

The thing everyone seems to agree on is that Dale Stewart was someone who cared deeply about the people of Great Falls.

He was kind of a quiet guy, and he didn’t put it out there what he was doing or anything. He just did it,” said Gary.

"It’s the kind of man he was,” Snuggs agreed. “He was very humble. It’s something that we didn’t expect, and I don’t think any of the other nonprofits were expecting it, either.”

“The totally amazing part of this donation is not the financial aspect, but that he believed enough in what we do that we warrant that gift,” Snuggs continued. “I’ve never cried over a donation, but that was a good day.”